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cholesterol

Eggs: Incredible And Entirely Edible

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Do you love eggs, but are afraid to eat them? If you do, is it only ghostly looking egg whites that are allowed to make an appearance on your plate?

Is It The Cholesterol In Eggs That’s Freaking You Out?

We all have cholesterol in our bodies. It’s used to form cell membranes, some hormones, and for other functions.

You get cholesterol in two ways. Your body — mainly your liver — usually makes about 1,000 milligrams a day. You also get it from eating foods that contain cholesterol. Animal foods — especially egg yolks, meat, poultry, shellfish, and whole and reduced fat dairy products — contain it. Plant foods don’t.

Your body can usually make all the cholesterol it needs so it’s not necessary to eat it. Still, the average American man consumes about 337 milligrams of cholesterol daily; the average woman, 217 milligrams. The American Heart Association recommends limiting your average daily cholesterol intake to less than 300 milligrams; less than 200 milligrams if you have heart disease.

Eggs Used To Be Cholesterol No-Nos

We used to be told not to eat eggs, certainly not the yolks, because of what they would do to our cholesterol levels. Egg yolks do contain a lot of cholesterol and may have a weak effect on blood cholesterol levels, but they also contain nutrients like protein, vitamins B12 and D, riboflavin, and folate that might help to lower the risk for heart disease.

There is solid research that shows that for most people the  cholesterol in food has a much smaller effect on the total cholesterol and harmful LDL cholesterol in the blood than the mix of fats in the diet does.

Recent research shows that eating moderate numbers of eggs — up to one a day—doesn’t increase the risk of heart disease risk in healthy people and can be part of a healthy diet. It’s recommended that people with diabetes and heart disease limit eggs to no more than three yolks a week.

Can You Eat Eggs Every Day?

The research isn’t suggesting three-egg omelettes as daily fare —  especially if they’re loaded with cheese, bacon, and sausage. Your body handles scrambled eggs, salsa, and a whole wheat English muffin a lot differently than scrambled eggs with cheese, sausage or bacon, home fries, and white toast with butter. You might consider choosing eggs with high omega-3 content from free range organically raised chickens and steering clear of adding saturated fat (most notably, butter) when they’re cooked. If you have a three egg omelette one day, skip eggs for the next day or so.

Egg Nutrition

1 large egg:  71 calories, 5g total fat (2g saturated), 211mg cholesterol, 70mg sodium, 0g carbohydrate, 6g protein

1 (large) egg yolk:  54 calories, 5g total fat (2g saturated), 210mg cholesterol, 8mg sodium, 1g carbohydrate, 3g protein

1 (large) egg white:  16 calories, 0g fat, 0g cholesterol, 55mg sodium, 0g carbohydrate, 4g protein

Love Eggs? Worried About Cholesterol? Some News!

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Cholesterol. We all have it in our bodies. It’s used to form cell membranes, some hormones, and for other functions. But, too high a level in your blood can be a major risk factor for coronary heart disease.

You get cholesterol in two ways. Your body (mainly your liver) usually makes about 1,000 milligrams a day. You also get it by eating certain foods that contain cholesterol. Animal foods — especially egg yolks, meat, poultry, shellfish, and whole and reduced fat dairy products — contain it. Plant foods don’t.

Your body can usually make all the cholesterol it needs so it’s not necessary to eat it (the liver helps remove some of the excess). Still, the average American man consumes about 337 milligrams of cholesterol daily; the average woman, 217 milligrams.

The American Heart Association recommends limiting your average daily cholesterol intake to less than 300 milligrams; less than 200 milligrams If you have heart disease.

Eggs Used To Be Cholesterol No-Nos

New nutrition data from the USDA’s research service shows that eggs are lower in cholesterol than when they were last analyzed in 2002. The average amount of cholesterol in one large egg is 185 mg, or 14 % less. Vitamin D levels have increased 64% with a large egg containing 41 International Units (IU). Some things have stayed the same:  each large egg is 70 calories and has 6 grams of protein, or 12% of the Recommended Daily Value (RDA).

You can keep within the cholesterol guidelines even eating an egg a day, especially if you choose other low cholesterol foods. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest that eating one whole egg per day does not result in increased blood cholesterol levels but they, too, recommend consuming, on average, less than 300 mg of cholesterol per day.

Why The Change In The Incredible Edible Egg?

Researchers are speculating that it is probably because of changes in the hens’ feed. Hens are now being fed a high quality, nutritionally balanced diet of mostly corn, soybean meal, vitamins and minerals. Research is being done to check this out.

You should start seeing revised nutrition information on egg cartons soon.

An Apple A Day . . .

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An Apple A Day . . .

Keeps the doctor away!  How often have you heard that – and who said such a thing?

It seems to be a variant of a Welsh proverb, published in 1866, equating eating an apple when going to bed and keeping the doctor from earning his bread.

What’s So Special About Apples?

Magical and aphrodisiac powers are attributed to lots of foods and the apple doesn’t disappoint – remember the Garden of Eden? Ancient Greeks would toss an apple to propose to a woman. Catching it signaled acceptance.

Apples are good for you. They grow in every state in the continental US.  They have Vitamin C and flavonoids (antioxidants) to help immune function and aid in preventing heart disease and some cancers.

They reduce tooth decay by cleaning your teeth and killing off bacteria. They are easily digestable and their high fiber content adds bulk that helps the digestive process. They have pectin, a soluble fiber, that encourages the growth of good bacteria in your digestive tract.They are a good source of potassium, folic acid, and vitamin C.

What Makes An Apple An Apple?

Apple flavor is a blend of tart, sweet, bitter, and that distinct apple aroma — a mysterious blend of 250 trace chemicals naturally contained in the fruit.  The sweetness comes from the  9 – 12% sucrose and fructose content.

A medium apple weighs about 5 ounces, has around 81 calories and 3.7 grams of fiber from pectin, a soluble fiber. Unpeeled apples have their most plentiful nutrients just under the skin.

Popular Apples Found In Markets:

  • Braeburn:  sweet/tart flavor; yellow with red stripe/blush; firm, great for snacking. Season: October to July.
  • Crispin: sweet flavor; green-yellow; firm, great for snacking and pies. Season: October to September.
  • Empire: sweet/tart flavor; solid red, crisp, great for snacking and salads. Season: September to July.
  • Fuji: sweet/spicy flavor; red blush, yellow stripes/green; crisp, great for snacking, salads and freezing. Season: Year round.
  • Gala: sweet flavor; red-orange, yellow stripe; crisp, great for snacking, salads, sauce and freezing. Season:  August to March.
  • Golden Delicious: sweet; yellow-green; crisp, great as a snack, in salads, sauce and pies. Season: Year round.
  • Granny Smith: tart and green; occasionally has a pink blush; crispy, great for baking, snacking, sauces, pies and salads. Season: Year round.
  • Honeycrisp: sweet/tart flavor; mottled red over a yellow background; crisp, best for snacking, salads, pies, sauce and freezing. Season: September to February.
  • Jonathan: spicy and tangy; light red stripes over yellow or deep red; less firm and good for pies and baking. Season: September to April.
  • McIntosh: tangy; red and green; tender and best for snacking, sauce and pies. Season: September to July.
  • Red Delicious: sweet; can be striped to solid red; crisp; good for snacking and salads.  Season: Year-round.
  • Rome: sweet; deep, solid red; firm and great for sauce, baking and pies. Season: October to September.

SocialDieter Tip:

Basic apple info: Try to find apples that haven’t been waxed. Farmers’ markets are probably the best places to look. You might want to peel the skin off if it is waxed.

Wash your apple thoroughly before eating or cutting it up to decrease the amount of pesticide residue or bacterial contaminants.

Keep apples in the fridge to keep them in their best shape and so they last longer. Unrefrigerated they get mushy in two or three days. Apples should be firm and blemish-free.

Cut apples will turn brown, a result of oxidation.  To prevent that, toss them with citrus juice — oranges, lemons, and limes all work equally as well.